Overcome Your Debilitating Fatigue and Get Your Life Back with Personalized Adrenal Treatment
Are you tired of being tired all the time? Do you get up in the morning raring to go, only to lose all your energy within a few hours? Do others tell you that this constant fatigue is “all in your head?”
Maybe you’ve seen specialist after specialist, yet you’re no better. Perhaps you have a cabinet full of prescriptions for every symptom, yet you’re still exhausted—and frustrated.
Hope exists! Your fatigue is real, but it may not be caused by what you think. It may very well start with your adrenal gland function. And we can help you fully resolve it through personalized adrenal treatment.
How do the Adrenal Glands work?
Your adrenal glands, part of the endocrine system, are two small, cone-shaped glands located on top of your kidneys. They produce vital hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol. These glands are responsible for helping to regulate your metabolism, blood pressure, heart rate, sex hormones, and, most importantly, your stress levels.
Serious diseases associated with the adrenal glands, such as Addison’s and Cushing’s Disease, can be life-threatening. While not as severe, another disorder called Adrenal Fatigue can occur when the adrenal glands function below their proper level. This adrenal insufficiency can wreak havoc on your life and wellbeing.
What causes Adrenal Fatigue?
The leading cause of Adrenal Fatigue is stress. When you experience stress, the adrenal glands go into “fight or flight” mode, pumping out cortisol and adrenaline, increasing your heart rate and breathing. You’re effectively in “survival mode.” Once the stressful situation has passed, your adrenal glands stop releasing these hormones and your body returns to normal operation.
The problem comes when stress levels go from just once in a while to all the time. In modern life, with pandemics, economic stress, and information overload, it’s no wonder so many are dealing with more stress than they can handle. Being in a constant state of stress causes the fight or flight system to overproduce stress hormones, and the system starts to break down.
A variety of additional elements can contribute to Adrenal Fatigue and worsen the condition:
- Sleep deprivation causes your adrenals to pump out stress hormones to keep you awake.
- Acute or chronic infections, particularly those that have to do with the respiratory tract such as the flu, bronchitis, or pneumonia, can also create additional bodily stress.
- Toxic chemicals or pollutants can also put additional stress on the body—not to mention toxic relationships!
- A poor diet filled with processed foods and artificial sweeteners, excessive alcohol consumption, and smoking all contribute to inflammation, which is the root cause of many diseases.
- Certain vitamin deficiencies can influence both cortisol and immune response.
Could you be suffering from Adrenal Fatigue?
Adrenal Fatigue is one of the most overlooked health problems in traditional medicine, partly because the symptoms can be attributed to other causes. Unfortunately, this can mean putting a band-aid on the situation and not getting to the underlying causes so you can achieve optimum health. Some common Adrenal Fatigue symptoms include:
* Chronic fatigue
* Insomnia (body clock is off)
* Nervousness, anxiety, or tremors
* Weight gain, especially around the abdominal area
* Difficulty handling everyday stress
* Severe energy dips throughout the day
* Energy surges before bedtime
* Dizziness when standing
* Brain fog and not being able to think clearly
* Hair loss
* Hormonal imbalances including thyroid and sex hormones
* Skin ailments
* Insulin resistance
* Craving sweet or salty foods
* Decreased sex drive
* Sugar and carbohydrate cravings
How the Adrenal Glands affect other bodily functions
An imbalance in the adrenal glands also affects other endocrine functions within the body. The adrenals, hypothalamus, and pituitary gland work symbiotically. When you’re under stress, your hypothalamus sends a signal to your pituitary gland, which then signals your adrenals to produce more cortisol.
Once this signaling process has begun, cortisol and other hormones—such as thyroid hormone—tell your body to direct all normal functions to deal with the stressor, and other functions are put on hold until the stress has passed. This lack of attention on normal bodily processes can affect your digestion, immune response, and thyroid function.
If you have a thyroid condition, your adrenal health should always be tested. Without proper treatment of the adrenal glands, your thyroid may improve but won’t function optimally. A lot of patients who are put on thyroid medication without any adrenal support can initially get worse. They may experience shaking hands, racing heart, and insomnia because their body has been forced to handle the rush of thyroid hormones into their system.
What does Adrenal Treatment at Wonderfully Made Functional Medicine entail?
Adrenal disorders can be caused by multiple factors. Dr. Wood and her highly trained staff will create an individual plan that works for you. This is not a generic, one-size-fits-all approach.
We will spend as much time with you as needed to determine what will achieve the best results. This means discussing your full medical history and your current symptoms in detail, as well as identifying internal and external stressors. Comprehensive lab work, explicitly tailored to your situation, will then identify any imbalances in your system, which includes testing with salivary samples over a 24 hour period for a good look at adrenal function.
Once we have all the necessary information, we will come up with your tailored treatment plan. This may include:
* Addressing hormonal imbalances with Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy;
* Testing your gut health and working out a plan to address any dietary deficiencies;
* Adding the use of adaptogenic herbs, which support your body’s natural ability to handle stress; and
* Developing a regular exercise program of stress-reducing activities such as yoga, tai chi or walking in nature.
We will also work with you on techniques to better manage your daily stress, including mindfulness techniques, addressing chronic sleep issues, counseling, and anything else that you would need to achieve optimal wellness.
Adrenal Fatigue is a chronic medical condition, which will take a bit of time to treat adequately. However, with specialized, comprehensive treatment, combined with your commitment, you can free yourself from the constant fatigue and achieve long-term health.
Contact our New Patient Coordinator for a Free Consultation
Call us for a consultation to see how we can help. We’ll answer any questions you have, explain our treatment approach, protocols, fees, and options. Or fill out of the contact form below and we will contact you at a time that is convenient for you.
New Patients Call: 972-382-5597